Award races tight in major film categories

By Staff Writer: Alexis Klask

March 2, 2014 will mark the date of the 86th annual Academy Award ceremony. Films American Hustle and Gravity have been nominated for ten Oscars in a wide range of categories. Even so, the competition will be grueling; both films will go up against movies like Golden Globe winners 12 Years a Slave and Her for Best Drama Picture and Best Screenplay, respectively.

Alongside with the fight for the Oscar for Best Motion Film, actors and actresses alike will be fighting for the sought after title of Best Actor/Actress in either a leading role or supporting role. Nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role are:

Christian Bale for American Hustle (2nd Oscar nomination; going for 2nd win (1st award for Best Actor in Supporting Role for The Fighter))
Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave (1st Oscar nomination)
Bruce Dern for Nebraska (2nd Oscar nomination)
Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club (1st Oscar nomination)
Leonardo DiCaprio for Wolf of Wall Street (4th Oscar nomination)

Nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Amy Adams for American Hustle (5th Oscar nomination)
Judi Dench for Philomena (7th Oscar nomination, going for 2nd win; 1st award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Shakespeare in Love))
Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine (5th Oscar nomination; going for 2nd win; 1st award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Aviator))
Sandra Bullock for Gravity (2nd Oscar nomination; going for 2nd win; 1st award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Blind Side))
Meryl Streep for August: Osage County (18th Oscar nomination, going for 4th win; awarded for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Sophie’s Choice and The Iron Lady alongside with an award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Kramer vs. Kramer)

While all nominations and awards are important, it seems this year most will be focusing on Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Some want to see if Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), and Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) will duke it out for their own Academy Award. For Nyong’O this is her first nomination, and while she has already won a SAG Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, she must remain competitive having going up against a beloved actress (Roberts) who has been in the business for a long time, and a rookie (Lawrence) who has proven to possess talent beyond her years. For Lawrence this is her 2nd nomination for an Oscar, while for Roberts it will be her 4th nomination and both actresses are going for their second wins.

Among one of the highest titles in the entertainment business, an Oscar for Best Picture is not something to be overlooked. The nominations for Best Film are: